Giancarlo La Rocca

The Black Jellyfish metaphor represents known phenomena that can escalate unpredictably with major impact. The concept applies to the increasing congestion of Earth's orbit due to debris and satellite proliferation. The risk of orbital collapse known since the 1970 poses a severe threat to critical civil and military activities dependent on space. The issue intersects legal, political, safety and security concerns creating obstacles to new governance regimes. The research aims to take the pulse of space diplomacy addressing challenges in a time of terrestrial-space dynamics osmosis, multilateralism crisis and efforts to establish sustainability principles. Of particular interest are topics related to the role of states and the increasing prominence of private actors, how stakeholders can achieve goals in a complex geopolitical environment, questioning whether competition or cooperation drives space achievements.